Conduit or subway for electric railways



'(No Model) 2 SheetsShe'et 1.

A. S. KROTZ & W. P. ALLEN. GONDUIT 0R SUBWAY POR ELECTRIC RAILWAYSL No. 558,284.

Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 558,284. gatented. Apr. 14; 1896; D

(No Model.)

gm i

whom 2 ANDREW B GRAHAM PHOT0-UTHO.WA5HINGTON.DC,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALvARo s. KROTZ, or SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, AND WILLIAM P. ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,-ASSIGNORS oE ONE-THIRD TO OLIVER s. KELLY,

OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO. A

CONDU IT OR SUBWAY FO R-ELECTRIC' RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,284, dated April 14, 1896. A plioation filed December 2, 1895. Serial No- 570,856. (No man To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALVARO S. KROTZ, of Springfield, Clark county, Ohio, and W'IL- LIAM P. ALLEN, of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conduits or Subways for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in conduits or subways for electric railways; and it consists in the constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a section of the subway or conduit with parts shown in section. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the conductorsupports and the connections therefor. Fig. 3 is a top viewof the conductor-supports and conductors, showing the connections. Fig.

4 is a plan view, partly in section, of a modifi-' cation.

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in the several views.

In the accompanying drawings, a represents a supporting frame or yoke, of which any number may be used, the frames or yokes being placed preferably about three to four feet apart.

a a are plates of covers which are adapted to rest at each end on the. respective yokes and form a top to the subway which exists between the yokes.

The sides and bottom of the subway may be formed in any suitable manner, either by masonry or by planks and plates, which extend from one yoke to another, so as to form a continuous conduit or subway.

The plates at a will be separated to form the usual slotted opening 0. which extends continuously along the top of the subway or conduit to permit the supports of the traveling contacting devices to pass through the same.

Depending from the top of the yokes a are insulators b, which may be of any suitable form, and supported by each of these insulators there is a conductor-support b, which has at one side a boss or projection 21 to which is secured an insulator b Supported by the insulators b there is a sectional contacting rail b which is attached to the several insulators b in any suitable manner. These rails 79 are made in sections of any desirable or suitable length, the said sections being independent one from the other, or, if connected, insulated, so as to be electrically independcut one from the other. I

The conductor-supports b are formed with extended bracket-arms b on which the main conductors or feed-wires c c c (any suitable number being employed) are supported. If desired, these bracket-arms b may be constructed circular in form and connected by pipe or tube sections b, as shown at the right in Fig. 1, thus making a continuous tubular casing in which the insulated feed-wires are inclosed.

A connection is established from each of the rail-sections b with oneof the feed-wires or main conductors, preferably through the medium of a switch 0 which may be supported on the conductor-support b, or, in the event that the continuous tubular casing is used in connection with said supports, the switch 0 may be inclosed within suitable box 0 forming a part of the casing 6 as shown in Fig. 4:.

It will be seen by the above construction that we provide sectional contacting rails which are doubly insulated from the conduit or supports. The main conductors are also doubly insulated from the conduit or the frame portions thereof. Means are also provided by which any rail-section may be readily cut out in the event of a short circuit or other similar trouble.

Having thus described our invention, we claim-- 1. In a subway or conduit, a series of supports connected to the walls of said subway or conduit by insulators, said supports being connected to and adapted to sustain contacting rails and feed-wires or conductors, said contacting rails and feed-wires or conduct-ors being each insulated one from the other and from said supports, and a detachable connection from one or more of said feed- Wires or conductors to the contacting rails, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a subway or conduit, of a series of yokes, insulators on said yokes, and a series of supports sustained by said insulators, said supports being adapted to support on one side thereof independent rail-sections and on the other side one or more feed-Wires or conductors, said independent rail-sections being insulated from said supports and from said conductors, and said conductors being insulated from said supports and from said independent rail-sections, and a detachable connection from said conductor or conductors to each of said rail-sections, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a supportingyoke and an insulator thereon, a support sus- In testimony whereof We have hereunto set 30 our hands this 9th day of November, A. D. 1895.

ALVARO S. KROTZ. \VILLIAM P. ALLEN.

Vitnesses GEO. A. BEARD, CHAS. I. \VELoH. 

